Missing
by abstractwhisk
Summary: A girl is missing, and the team is called in to find her, people are dead. A perp is needed and soon.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was Monday morning, thought Abby, so for Gibbs at least, things weren't going to be off to a good start. Not that she was worried; she knew she was Gibbs' favorite. Sure enough he came stomping into the bullpen, where she was waiting with the rest of the team, clutching his coffee and blinking angrily.

"Why are you all standing around?" he asked, "Don't you have work to do?"

"On it, Boss," said McGee quickly getting back to his computer. Ziva just nodded and got busied herself with the paperwork that was scattered all over her desk.

"And where the heck is Dinozzo?" He asked to the room at large, noting Tony's conspicuous absence before turning back to Abby.

"What is it Abs?" he asked.

"Where's my Caff Pow?" she asked hopefully.

"There are two dead marines, a murderer at large in the city, Dinozzo's late, again and all you can think about is your Caff Pow!" Gibbs said exasperatedly, and slightly angrily. Abby's hurt shone on her face, and seeing it Gibbs immediately regretted lashing out at her.

"I dropped it off in your lab before I came up," he said consolingly, "Now do you or do you not have work to do?" Abby quickly perked back up and got to business.

"That's exactly why I came to see you," she said, taking the remote from a desk nearby. After the push of a button a picture of a gun came onscreen.

"This is the gun we found at the crime scene, just your average rifle. It matches both of the bullets we found in the victim's heads.

"Prints?" The reply came as a grunt.

"I'm getting there, Gibbs," said Abby exasperatedly, shaking her head in dismay, pigtails flying. "The gun and the bullets we found are both completely clean of prints. I mean the guy would have had to sit their and clean it completely to hide the prints this well. You would think there would be at least the tiniest trace of a-"

"Abby," Gibbs prompted cautioningly.

"Right, like I was saying, they're both completely free of prints and sold at just about anyplace in town, but I did manage to get an i.d. on the hair we found the first victim holding,"

"And…" said Gibbs impatiently.

"It belongs," interjected Tim, moving out from around his desk, "to Claudia Marie Jackson." Taking the remote from Abby and clicking twice so that a picture of a young girl came up, he continued "10 year old daughter of Colonel Paul Jackson. Both she and her father were reported missing two days ago."

"Do we have an i.d. on the dead marines yet?"

"Yes Boss, 1st Lieutenant David O'Reilly, and uh well…"Tim paused uncomfortably.

"What McGee?" yelled Gibbs.

"Colonel Paul Jackson," mumbled Tim, whincing slightly as he watched Gibbs explode.

"Dammit," cursed Gibbs, already headed for the elevator, "Abby-back to your lab. McGee- I want everything you've got on our Colonel and Lieutenant. Ziva-" He called over his shoulder.

"Yes, Boss?" asked Ziva jumping up from her desk.

"Go find Tony" said Gibbs simply.

"Why me?" asked Ziva dejectedly as the elevator doors dinged shut.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Dammit Tony," Ziva muttered angrily to herself as, yet again Tony's idiotic voicemail picked up. She was shivering outside his apartment, still recovering from the freezing winter weather.

"Tony, open up," she yelled angrily as she pounded on the door. On around the third pound the door slowly creaked open. Sticking her head through the crack, and seeing no one she quickly drew her gun. It wasn't like Tony to leave his door unlocked. He may be a dope sometimes, but not even Tony would put himself in that kind of danger. No one in their line of work would take that risk.

Keeping her gun pointing to the ground she snuck inside. Ugh, she thought gagging, what a pig sty. The whole place smelled like rotten eggs and old gym socks. Passing the living area and kitchen without any incident she finally came to the closed bedroom door.

There she paused, took a deep breathe and burst into the room.

"Wha- Ziva?" came Tony's voice from the bed, as he propped himself up on his arm, yawning.

"Tony," said Ziva with disgust, while quickly lowering her gun.

"Ziva!" yelped Tony, wide awake now, at the sight of his colleague, and sitting on the edge of the bed, pulled at the sheets to cover himself up.

"Tony, what is it baby?" asked a new female voice, as a bedraggled red-head sat up, gasped in surprise, and also pulled at the sheet.

Five minutes later Ziva was sitting at Tony's kitchen table, which was covered in old plates, and newspapers, grinning to herself as Tony scrambled around the apartment getting ready for work and grumbling about Ziva's disaster of an arrival.

The redhead had left minutes before without as much as a good-bye to Tony. She simply rushed out of the door, wearing a wrinkled party dress and looking quite frazzled.

"So who was the girl?" started Ziva, deciding to enjoy herself. After all it was Gibbs' fault she was here; she might as well have some fun. "You must have been dating her what, a whole day before you brought her home to have s-"

"It's none of your business," interrupted Tony, who was trying to button his shirt while eating a piece of toast. "What I do in my free time, and for your information I've been seeing Sheyenne for a whole week, thank you very much," he finished, spitting crumbs everywhere.

"No," mused Ziva, trying not to smile as she continued to taunt him, "But I'm sure Gibbs will be very interested to hear what you've been doing that caused you to be so late to work."

"I am So dead," moaned Tony.

"Ah, Jethro," exclaimed Ducky, as Gibbs entered the autopsy room, "I was just finishing with our two unfortunate marines here," he said gesturing to the bodies on the table.

"What've you got for me Duck?" questioned Gibbs.

"Something important, actually, as I opened up these men, I noticed something very unusual. These men, did not, as it would appear, die from the bullet wound to the head, although that of course would have been automatically fatal."

"No? Then how'd they die?" asked Gibbs.

"As I examined their mouths, I saw something very interesting," explained Ducky, "I found black fibers in both of their throats and mouths. It would seem that both of these men had been smothered, by some kind of fabric, and then shot in the head. It's overkill really."

"Why shoot a dead man?" agreed Gibbs.

"Just before you arrived I sent Mister Palmer down to Abigail, with the fibers. She said that she'd probably have something within the hour. I really can't imagine why they did it. It reminds me of the time that…" But before he had even gotten that far, Gibbs had already left, heading back to the bullpen to check on McGee.

By the time he had stepped out of the elevator, his mind was churning. Ducky was right. It was overkill, but why?

"McGee, what have you got?" he barked, but before Tim could answer Gibbs had spotted Tony and Ziva sneaking back to their desks.

"Tony!" At the sound of his name Tony straightened up, and put on what he hoped was an innocent smile.

"Uh, yeah Boss?" he said sweetly.

"Where the heck have you been?" yelled Gibbs, immediately seeing through Tony's innocent disguise. Thinking fast Tony replied, "Well, my, uh car got, umm towed, and I missed the bus so I, uhh-" He faltered under Gibbs' icy stare.

"So you couldn't call to explain yourself," Gibbs finished for him sarcastically.

"Actually Gibbs, he was just having a sleepunder with his latest girl friend, a red-head this time," informed Ziva, smiling and not meeting Tony's eye.

"For your information the phrase is sleepover, and why the heck did you have to tell him about it!?!?" hissed Tony, before exclaiming "Hey!" as he was smacked in the back of the head.

"Because I asked Dinozzo, that's why," Gibbs said, as he turned back to McGee, who was trying to stifle his laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A picture of Colonel Paul Jackson flashed on the screen. The man was of medium height and build, with brown hair and dark green eye.

"Colonel Paul Jackson, age 35. Wife died in seven years ago in a car wreck. One daughter, as we already know, Claudia. He has no criminal record, and was last seen with," McGee paused as the picture on the screen changed, "1st Lieutenant David O'Reilly, age 42, and no family. Last year, on an anonymous police tip, he was accused of a drug scandal, was tried but found innocent. They were both last seen in Washington DC a day before they were reported missing,"

"Good work, McG-" began Gibbs before Ziva interrupted.

"Boss," she said, hanging up the phone and standing, "Local police have sighted the girl. They said they tried to approach her, but she ran. They've sealed her off in an old warehouse and are requesting our help.

"Good. Let's go," said Gibbs, "I'll drive."

The team exchanged slightly worried looks as they followed their boss into the elevator.

After the 15 minute drive, that should have been 45 minutes, the team, each faintly green, stepped out of the car and faced the warehouse.

"Why are we doing this," Tony was complaining, "Don't they have people that are, like, trained to handle kids?"

"Yeah Dinozzo and right now I'm feeling like one of them," Gibbs remarked, "So everybody get inside and spread out."

"Yes, Boss," answered Tony obediently, with a hint of defiance.

Then team split up, and after an hour of searching and no results, they were about to give in. On the second floor, Gibbs heard a sound behind him. It sounded to him like someone trying very hard not to make a sound. Cautiously turning he retraced his steps. Now he was standing in the doorway of a small office. Seeing a flash of blonde hair under the desk he slowly moved forward. Once he was around the desk he knelt down.

"My name," he said to the shaking figure in front of him, "Is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." As though she were waiting for him to finish, the girl collapsed.

Working quickly Gibbs radioed for an ambulance. He then wrapped his jacket around Claudia. He took one long look at her, taking in her thin pale frame, before gathering her up in his arms and carrying her out to the awaiting ambulance.

When she first awoke, Claudia kept her eyes squeezed shut. Instead she took in the warmth of the sheets and the clean air. Where am I, she wondered. Then a flood of memories came rushing back, her father dead, the man beating her, escaping, the warehouse. And then, another man, kind and smiling this time, what had he said his name was? Special Agent Gibbs, yes that was it.

Her eyes snapped open. She was in a hospital, that part was obvious, to her left there was a window, displaying the cold winter day outside. Slowly she turned her head to the right, and there he was! The man from the warehouse, and some other girl, with long black pigtails and dark mascara. The girl was wearing all black and a skull necklace.

Before she could speak the girl had noticed her wake up.

"She's awake Gibbs," she said smiling.

"Thanks Abs," he said relieved, before sinking into a chair, and falling asleep. The girl shook her head, still smiling and then moved over to sit near Claudia.

"He's been awake all night you know," said the dark haired girl, "he was worried about you. Gibbs' got a soft spot for kids," she remarked grinning.

"Wh-" Claudia tried to speak, but her mouth was to dry. Swallowing she tried again, "Who are you?" she asked, her voice sounding small and raspy.

"Oh, right, I'm Abby," said the girl, holding out a hand, with stubby black fingernails, "I'm the Forensic Specialist for NCIS, and of course, you've already met Gibbs," she nodded towards the sleeping figure.

"What's going on?" asked Claudia, shaking Abby's hand.

"We were kinda hoping you could tell us," said a man dramatically, entering the room, and secretly hoping he looked important.

"Nice entrance McGee," said Abby winking playfully at him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Gibbs awoke, and found that he was still in Claudia's hospital room. She was still asleep, but looked scared and tense. Gibbs glanced at his watch. 8:30 pm. He had slept all day. It wasn't surprising, really with the stress of finding Claudia yesterday, and staying awake all night watching over her. He slowly stood and stretched his aching muscles.

"Are you okay," came a voice from the bed. Gibbs jumped slightly, not realizing she had been awake. "You slept so long I didn't think you'd wake up, but that girl, Abby, she said you had stayed up all night waiting for me to wake up," Claudia continued.

"Yeah," said Gibbs, "I'm fine, but I'm not the one in the hospital bed. How are you?" The evidence for Claudia's long sleep was on her back. It looked like she'd been whipped. The thought of her injuries ignited a fury in Gibbs, one that he wasn't sure he could control.

"Why did you help me?" asked Claudia, "You don't even know me," Looking into her eyes, Gibbs saw the fear and hurt that she was hiding. No one had taken care of her, it seemed, her whole life.

"Why shouldn't I help you?" Gibbs asked, "I have to go now, but I'll be back. Rest well, and feel better Claudia, you're safe now," and with that he left.

When Gibbs arrived back at the bullpen his fury at whoever had hurt this poor little girl knew no limits. He was angry, and determined to find the culprit. Tony unknowingly tested his anger the moment that he arrived.

"Nice to see you awake again Boss," he said smiling and bracing himself for the smack that was sure to follow. Sure enough it came, a bit harder than usual.

"Dinozzo, we have a 10 year old girl in the hospital from abuse, and two dead marines. You had better tell me that you've been working all this time, and not making jokes about my sleeping habits," Gibbs exploded, "Now what have you got?" McGee stepped forward first, eager to get on his boss' good side.

"With Abby's help I managed to get Claudia to tell us everything that had happened that she could remember. It's not much; she either can't or won't tell us part of the story."

McGee," growled Gibbs, angry at his lack of sympathy for the girl.

"Right, sorry Boss-"

"Don't apologize, it's a sign of-" intervened Gibbs.

"Weakness, I know Boss," interrupted McGee, eager to finish his report, "She told us that a couple of nights ago a man came into her house, holding a gun on her father, while she was upstairs. He bound the Colonel, and then came for her. She said that they were both blindfolded and thrown into a car," as Tim paused for breath Gibbs began to ask, "Did you get a-"

"Yes Boss, we had her describe the man to a sketch artist, and-" he started, but Gibbs cut him off.

"Did you run it through the system?"

"No becau-"

"Why the heck not McGee," yelled Gibbs frustratedly.

"Because," Tim continued, "The man was Lieutenant O'Reilly. Claudia then told us that they were out in a large room together, bound to chairs, but without the blindfolds. She said that the man mentioned drugs, and people higher up. Then a third man came, attacked the Lieutenant, bound him, and started abusing Claudia. The whole story was patchy from there on out. After a while she said she had collapsed on the ground, just conscious enough to hear the gun shots, and the man leaving. After that she managed to escape," he finished.

"Why did she run fro the police then," asked Gibbs.

"Apparently," answered Tony before McGee could say anything, "the policeman was a male with his gun out. I figure this reminded Claudia of the man who killed her father, and it's not as if she's had any positive male influences. She was scared," he stated simply.

"We've got people out searching for the Lieutenants car. It's a black Honda Civic," said Ziva, "Hopefully we'll have a crime scene, but no luck yet."

"Good, McGee-see if you can find out more about the drug trial on the Lieutenant. Ziva-keep looking for that car," instructed Gibbs.

"What about me, Boss?" asked Tony.

"Go to the hospital and use some that charm of yours on the nurses. See if you can get them to turn Claudia over into our custody," Gibbs ordered, smiling inwardly, "But don't get distracted Dinozzo," he warned.

"I'll try, Boss," began Tony, but seeing Gibbs' look he changed gears, "I mean, will do, Boss."

Down in her lab, Abby was spinning in one of her chairs, staring at the ceiling. Heavy metal music was pounding from the stereo in the corner. Gibbs entered quietly, and unseen he turned off the music.

"Hey!" Abby said jumping up, then sitting back down, hard on the ground, to dizzy to move.

"Please tell me you haven't been spinning since I last saw you," He said, shaking his head and smiling. Abby spotted the Caff Pow in his hand and reached for it.

"Not until you tell me you have something," said Gibbs holding the drink just out of her reach.

"You're no fair," Abby replied, mock angrily, as she stood up woozily. Gibbs' gave her a look, "Did you analyze the fibers Ducky sent you?" he asked.

"I finished that hours and hours ago," she stated.

"And…" Gibbs prompted.

"And its an extremely expensive coat fiber," she answered proudly, "Only 200 of these coats were sold worldwide, and only twenty were bought in the US."

"Do you have a list of the buyers?" asked Gibbs.

"Way ahead of ya Bossman, only one of these coats were bought in our area, by one Alan Smithers," informed Abby.

"Good work Abs," said Gibbs, "Here you go," and left her sipping away happily.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

McGee sat typing away angrily at his computer. Leave it to Gibbs to stick him with the hard job. Tony go to go flirt with some nurse and all Ziva had to do was sit around and wait for a phone call.

"You could help me you know," he called over to her, where she was cleaning her gun.

"No that's alright," answered Ziva casually.

"What's alright?" asked Gibbs entering the bullpen.

"Nothing, Boss," muttered Tim quickly.

"Nothings alright McGee? I've got a problem with that," challenged Gibbs.

"No, I just, uh, meant that umm" stammered Tim.

"Please tell me you're done stuttering and let me know what you've got," said Gibbs impatiently.

"Right Boss, I managed to track down the 'anonymous' tip and just like you guessed it was made by Colonel Jackson," he recovered.

"Good now what do you know about Alan Smithers?" Gibbs asked.

"Who's Alan Smit-" started McGee.

"Find out McGee. I want everything on this man, phone records, credit card use, everything." ordered Gibbs.

"Right away, Boss," replied Tim.

"Gibbs," called Ziva urgently, "They've found the car, near a warehouse about a half hour away."

"Another warehouse," mumbled Tim, "what is it with these people and warehouses?"

"Grab your gear, Ziva- call Tony, have him drop of Claudia with Duck and Abby, and meet us there," ordered Gibbs.

"I'll drive," offered Tim.

"No, I will," stated Gibbs. McGee and Ziva exchanged a look, before following Gibbs into the elevator. They had never seen him this angry before.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs, Tim, and Ziva stepped out of the car, each drawing their guns.

"Shouldn't we wait for To-" started Tim, but stopped after a glance at Gibbs.

"We go in now," he said, "Ziva, go around back, McGee around the side. You each have one minute to get in to position, we go in on in 80 seconds." Both agents nodded and headed off around the building.

Ziva was taking deep breathes, she had done this hundreds of time, why was she so nervous. She guessed it was her gut, as Gibbs would say. She counted the seconds carefully.

45…46…47… She spotted the back entrance. 54…55…60… She was in position. 78…79…80… She kicked through the door, gun raised. The warehouse was empty except for a few boxes and a table in the middle of the room. She spotted McGee coming from the side, and Gibbs from the front. Gibbs signaled all clear. Putting away their weapons they congregated in the middle of the room.

"Just a coincidence I guess," McGee was saying, "Someone must have stolen the car and dumped it here."

"I don't believe in coincidences," said Gibbs spitting the words out like venom.

Suddenly from behind a crate, rose a man, aiming a sniper rifle at their foreheads.

"Nobody move," the man said, "Just drop your weapons and nobody gets shot. Better yet just leave the guns where they are and put your hands in the air."

Knowing that one wrong move would spell the end for at least one of them the team did as they were told. Gibbs was mentally kicking himself; of course it was a trap. There was no way they would all make it out alive.

"Very good," started the man, "now jus-" but before he could finish, Tony burst through the door.

"Sorry I'm late Bo-" he stopped in his tracks. This had caused the sniper to turn in surprise. Two shots rang through the warehouse in quick succession. Taking advantage of the distraction Gibbs had nailed the sniper in the back, but not before he had fired a shot at Tony.

"Tony," yelled Gibbs as he watched his senior field agent fall to the ground. All three agents rushed to their fallen teammate.

" 'S all right," Tony whispered, " 'S just a scratch," and promptly fainted.

"It's his leg," said McGee worriedly, "We need an ambulance."

An hour later Tony was sitting in a hospital bed flirting with a cute nurse. As soon as the team had found out the extent of the injury they had returned to the office, leaving Tony to the nurses.

Back at the office, McGee had gotten a positive id on the sniper. He was, as they had suspected, Alan Smithers. The shot to his back had been fatal, but no one was complaining.

When Gibbs arrived he had found Claudia, along with Abby, being entertained by one of Ducky's astonishing stories. Gibbs asked to speak to her alone.

"Agent Gibbs, did you get him? The man who killed my dad?" she questioned.

"Of course we did," he said putting a hand on her shoulder, "he can't hurt you any more. You're going to stay at your grandparents, alright?"

"Will you visit me?" she asked, "You did so much for me, I'll miss you." Gibbs had promised that he would.

"Hey," Abby asked an hour later "where's Tony."

"Oh yeah, he got shot," said Tim, his eyes still glued to the computer screen, "I forgot to tell you."

"What?!?! When!?!?! Is he alright? Can we go see him? He is alive, right? You didn't 'forget" to tell me he died, right?" she exclaimed.

"He's fine; it was just in the leg," said McGee calmly, "he'll be back tomorrow."

"Why didn't you tell me!?!?" she asked again, turning to Gibbs.

"You didn't ask," he replied.

The next day around noon, Tony came limping into the office, supported by a sympathetic Abby. Grabbing a sandwich off of Ziva's desk as he limped by he unwrapped it and took a bite.

"Hey," she exclaimed, "what was that for?"

"Payback," explained Tony, "for telling Gibbs about my girlfriend on Monday," he finished, not knowing that Gibbs was behind him. Smack! Tony winced as Gibbs' hand came in contact with the back of his head.

"Thanks for the sandwich, Dinozzo," said Gibbs, grabbing it out of his hand and taking a bite.

"No problem, Boss," replied Tony grimacing.


End file.
